Michigan
Bucknell
U-M Sweeps Division Competition in First-Round Play
4/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
Event: Southern Division Championships (Day 1)
Results: Michigan 11, Bucknell 6; Michigan 16, Grove City 4
Record: U-M (18-9-1)
Next Event: Saturday, April 7 -- at Southern Division Championships (Grove City, Pa.)
GROVE CITY, Pa. -- Two separate first-period goal spurts led the University of Michigan women's water polo team past the competition Friday (April 7) in the first round of the Southern Division Championships. The No. 14 and second-seeded Wolverines defeated Bucknell 11-6 and Grove City 16-4 at the College Natatorium Competition Pool on the campus of Grove City College.
With the two wins, Michigan secured a top-four finish at the Southern Division Championships and a berth in the Eastern Championships on April 27-28 in Providence, R.I.
Against seventh-seeded Bucknell University, Michigan (18-9-1) found the net six times in the opening period. Bucknell attempted a comeback in the following period with a 3-1 advantage over the Wolverines, but the Maize and Blue stood strong and outscored the Bison 4-1 in the second half.
Seniors Christy Lilley (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) and Melissa Karjala (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) along with freshman Rachel Burkons (Van Nuys, Calif./Harvard Westlake HS) each contributed two goals in the tough Wolverine effort. Five others notched a goal for the Maize and Blue.
Against 11th-seeded Grove City, Michigan picked up right where it left off, hitting nine goals in the first seven minutes of play. Continuing with a five-goal second period, Michigan took a 14-2 lead into halftime. The Wolverines tucked two more goals into the net in the closing periods to finish the game at 16-4.
Junior Maribeth Sitkowski (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep HS) hit three goals for the Wolverines for her second career hat trick. Michigan received a pair of goals from freshmen Chelsea Kay (Laguna Hills, Calif./Laguna Beach HS) and Katherine Gregg (Newport, Calif./Newport Harbor HS), and nine different players tallied the remaining goals for the Wolverines.
The Wolverines will continue at the Southern Division Championships on Saturday (April 7) in Grove City, Pa. Michigan will face third-seeded George Washington University in the semifinal round at 10:30 a.m. Depending on the outcome of the game, the Wolverines will play in either the third-place game at 7:30 p.m. or the title game at 9 p.m. against No. 15 and top-seeded Princeton or No. 18 and fourth-seeded Indiana.
GAME SUMMARY
| Game 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Michigan | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 11 |
| Bucknell | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
Scoring
Michigan Goals: Christy Lilley 2, Rachel Burkons 2, Melissa Karjala 2, Delia Sonda, Sara Kowal, Abbi Rowe, Mandi Hagedorn, Julie Nisbet. Bucknell Goals: Oaige Cull 4, Adrienne Schuber, Brooke Rea.
| Game 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Michigan | 9 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 16 |
| Grove City | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Scoring
Michigan Goals: Maribeth Sitkowski 3, Chelsea Kay 2, Katherine Gregg 2, Sara Kowal, Delia Sonda, Angela Galardi, Stephanie Morse, Abbi Rowe, Mandi Hagedorn, Nora Schroeder, Stephanie Rupp, Jen Crisman. Grove City Goals: Tammy Hamsher, Adrienne Hill, Jessica Predecker, Brianne Leas.
N O T E S
The Wolverines have not faced George Washington this season. The Wolverines have defeated Princeton twice this season and hold a 3-0-1 record against Indiana (2-0 in division play).
Contact: Valerie Perkin (734) 763-4423
